Slowing it down a bit

I LOVE the autumn!!! I really do. This is my favorite time of year, and here in Colorado, it is easy to see coming. Leaves start to turn and fall from the trees, the air gets a chilly zing to it, and that wonderful scent of damp and decaying leaves mixes with smoke from fireplaces to remind you that the holiday season is starting.

This is my favorite time of year for cooking also. I don't know if it is due to the fact that it is no longer a million degrees in the house, thereby making it comfortable to have the stove and oven on, or if the cooling weather is telling my system that it is about to be cold and I need to fatten up so as not to waste away during the cold winter months.... Right.

Warm autumn spices, hearty soups, hot satisfying meals have been abounding in our house, partially because it is the fall season, and partially because I have been working some crazy hours from home. One of my favorite things has been to throw things into the slow cooker in the morning and let it do its own thing, enjoying the tantalizing smells emanating from the kitchen. Everything gets cleaned up in the morning after chopping and dicing and slicing, and I just have to serve what comes out of it when I am ready.

A couple of recipes from the Hatch Chile post were done in the slow cooker, and I mentioned quite a while ago that the pasta sauce I make can be done that way also, leaving very little chance of setting your house on fire should you feel the need to leave in the course of the many hours it takes to make it. I think there are probably a lot of recipes that can be adapted for the slow cooker, and in a world where everything is speeding up constantly, it is nice to be able to sit, relax, and enjoy food that took a long time to cook, but didn't really impede your day much. Talking with my girlfriend Cara yesterday, she spoke of her Crock Pot with the reverence that only a mother of 5 could have.

If your proteins and veggies are done in the slow cooker, it is a simple thing to make a pot of rice, pasta, or some quick potatoes to round out a meal. With the pea soup below, throw a rustic loaf of bread in the oven to warm while making a quick salad to go along with it. For an interesting salad, I like to use the produce that is harvested this time of year. A bed of spicy arugula topped with chopped apples, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese (which you have on hand because you want to put it on your soup) is great with a little olive oil and vinegar drizzled over the top.


Spilt pea soup--the meaty kind

1 small bag split peas--approx. 2 1/4 c
6 1/2 c water
1 onion chopped finely
2 stalks celery chopped finely
4 cloves garlic minced
2 smoked ham hocks
1 bay leaf
2 teas dried thyme
salt and pepper

Sort through the peas and remove any weird crap that does not resemble a pea. Rinse them well. Put all ingredients into a slow cooker and press GO. I like to add just a little salt and pepper at the beginning, and once it is finished cooking and ready to serve, add more to my personal liking. I also remove the ham hocks at this point, pull the meat of the bone, shred it and put it back in the soup. Even if the soup looks a little watery when you think it is done cooking, give it a good stir to break up the soft peas, and it instantly begins to thicken.
Ladle it into bowls and sprinkle some grated parmesan on top. Quite literally, easy-peasy.

Now, this recipe makes enough to feed Cara's family, or myself and Josh on the day when we wind up with three unexpected guests. On the days when we don't have unexpected guests, some of the leftovers go to work with Josh for lunch, and some of it winds up in the freezer for another day. Honestly, is there anything better than curling up with a book and a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly day? Oh yeah, doing it in front of a fireplace.